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Summary

For everyone who loved Pride and Prejudice—and legions of historical fiction lovers—an inspired debut novel set in Austen's world.Charlotte Collins, nee Lucas, is the respectable wife of Hunsford's vicar, and sees to her duties by rote: keeping house, caring for their adorable daughter, visiting parishioners, and patiently tolerating the lectures of her awkward husband and his condescending patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Intelligent, pragmatic, and anxious to escape the shame of spinsterhood, Charlotte chose this life, an inevitable one so socially acceptable that its quietness threatens to overwhelm her. Then she makes the acquaintance of Mr. Travis, a local farmer and tenant of Lady Catherine..In Mr. Travis' company, Charlotte feels appreciated, heard, and seen. For the first time in her life, Charlotte begins to understand emotional intimacy and its effect on the heart—and how breakable that heart can be. With her sensible nature confronted, and her own future about to take a turn, Charlotte must now question the role of love and passion in a woman's life, and whether they truly matter for a clergyman's wife.

Published Reviews

Booklist Review: "Jane Austen fans familiar with Charlotte Lucas a minor character in Pride and Prejudice who pragmatically weds the odious Mr. Collins will re-examine their opinions of her after reading this intelligent portrait of her life in the years after her marriage. Three years after the end of Austen's novel, Charlotte has settled into her life as the wife of a vicar and the mother of a young daughter when she befriends Mr. Travis, a local tenant farmer. Despite their class differences, the two form an intimate friendship one which forces Charlotte to look hard at her marriage to a man she does not love, and second guess the importance of practicality over passion. Readers will appreciate Greeley's attention to historical detail and her astute characterization as she adeptly uncovers nuances of character in both Charlotte and her husband that feel fresh while also ringing true to Austen's writing. Hand this to fans of other Austen spinoffs, including Jo Baker's Longbourn (2013), who will devour this thoughtful, moving, readable debut.--Martha Waters Copyright 2019 Booklist"From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.Publisher's Weekly Review: "Greeley debuts with a delightful yet poignant historical inspired by Jane Austen's classic Pride and Prejudice, from the pragmatic point of view of Charlotte Collins, a friend of Elizabeth Bennet's who married one of Elizabeth's cast-off suitors. In a time when women had only two choices--get married, or become a burden to one's family--Charlotte chose the former, even though she isn't in love with her husband, Vicar William Collins, a simpering sycophant to their patroness, the condescending, haughty know-it-all Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Charlotte is resigned to her fate and enjoying her growing toddler daughter, Louisa, when she meets Mr. Travis, a tenant of Lady Catherine's. For the first time, she feels heard and understood by a man, and realizes that while her life is socially acceptable, something vital is missing from her feelings about her husband. With tight prose and expert characterization (and, sadly, a finale true to those times), Greeley easily draws readers into the world she's created while largely staying true to Pride and Prejudice's original plot. Ideal for fans of Austen's work, Greeley's strong debut also stands on its own. (Dec.)"(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved